How to Change the Download Location in Chrome

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A guide to changing the download location in Chrome

Co-authored by Mobile Kangaroo

Last Updated: January 3, 2025 Tested

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• Using PC or Mac
|
• Using Android

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This wikiHow teaches you how to set a folder as the default location for saving your browser downloads in Google Chrome. You can change your download location on Android, PC, and Mac, but there's no option to set a download location on iPhone.

Where is the default download location in Chrome?

• The default download location on most computers is called Downloads.
• You can check the download folder in your Chrome settings in the "Advanced" section.
• If you have an Android, you'll find the default download location in your Chrome Settings menu under "Downloads."

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using PC or Mac

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1. 
   1
   Open Chrome on your computer. Find and click the

   

   icon on your computer to open Chrome.
2. 
   2
   Go to chrome://settings in your browser. This will open Chrome's browser settings.

   • Click the address bar at the top.
   • Type "chrome://settings".
   • Press ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return on your keyboard.
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3. 
   3
   Scroll down and click the Advanced drop-down. You'll find this option at the bottom of the basic settings below the "On startup" section. It will expand more options.
4. 
   4
   Scroll down and find the "Downloads" section. You can change your download settings here.
5. 
   5
   Click the Change button next to "Location." This will prompt you to select a folder to set as your new download location.

   • You can see your current download location in the "Location" box.
6. 
   6
   Select the folder you want to use as your download location. Click on the folder's name in the pop-up window to select it.
7. 
   7
   Click Select on the bottom-right. This will confirm your selection, and save your new download location. Chrome will now save browser downloads to your new location.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Android

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1. 
   1
   Open Chrome on your Android. Find and click the

   

   icon on your Apps tray to open Chrome.
2. 
   2
   Tap the ⋮ on the top-right. It will open a drop-down menu.
3. 
   3
   Tap Settings on the drop-down menu. This will open your browser settings on a new page.
4. 
   4
   Scroll down and tap Downloads. You can find this option near the bottom of the Settings menu. It will open your download settings.
5. 
   5
   Tap Download location. This will open a list of the available folders you can set as your download location.

   • You can see your current download location's file directory here.
6. 
   6
   Select the folder you want to use as your download location. This will set the selected folder as your download location in Chrome.
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Common Questions: Changing Where Files Download

How do I get my Downloads back to the bottom of Chrome?

This feature was removed in the newest version of Google Chrome. You can download an extension to bring it back.

How do I change the download location to an SD card on Android?

Open your Storage & USB settings and tap Internal Storage. Tap ⋮ and tap Change where new content is saved.

How do I change the download location in Gmail?

The download location for Gmail is the same as the one set for Google Chrome. To change this, click ⋮ → Settings → Downloads → Change next to Location.

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